Onyx vs Denim Drift
Where Onyx belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Denim Drift is a Dulux color. Hue-wise, Onyx belongs to the grey family and Denim Drift to the blue-grey family. Denim Drift (LRV 27) reflects noticeably more light than Onyx (LRV 5), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Onyx runs red while Denim Drift is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 36.7, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Onyx vs Denim Drift in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Onyx and Denim Drift in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Denim Drift will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Onyx would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Denim Drift reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Denim Drift reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Onyx.
Color Details
Onyx vs Denim Drift Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Onyx on one side and Denim Drift on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Onyx comparisons
See how Onyx stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 5, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 5, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 5, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 5, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 5, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Duck Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 8 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 5), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 5), opening up a space where Onyx encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 5, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 7 vs 5), so neither reads brighter in a room.